Loading or unloading apparatus.



No. 67u22. Patented Auf.. v2, Ism.

.1. F. WHITE.

LDADING DB UNLOADING APPARATUS.

(Application led Aug. .31, 1900*,

No. 61|,|22. Patented Apr. 2, |901. J. r. wlmi.. LODING ORUNLUADINGAPPARATUS.

(Application led Aug. 3l 1,900.)`

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ND.V 67H22.

' vla'fened Apr. 2, |90I. J. F. WHITE LOADING 0R UNLOADING APPARATUS.

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LOADING OR UNLOADING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 671,122, dated April2, 190-1.

Application filed August 31, 1900. Serial No. 28,666. UNO model.)

T @ZZ whom. t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. WHITE, manufacturer, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid-v ing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and Stateot' Illinois, have invented a new and useful Loading and UnloadingApparatus, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to loading and unloading apparatus, and hasspecial reference to that type of apparatus usually employed forelevating grain from a Wagon and depositing the same in a bin orgranary.

To this end the invention contemplates a portable loading and unloadingapparatus embodying certain novel features of construction rendering thesame well adapted for handling all kinds of large and small grain, aswell as potatoes, carrots, sugar-beets, and, in fact, almost anything`heretofore handled with a scoop.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a construction andarrangement of parts as to specially adapt the apparatus for handlingoats, wheat, and shelled corn without waste thereof.

The invention also has in view the equipment of the apparatus withimproved means whereby allot' the parts thereof are under the immediatecontrol of the operator.

Vtith these and other objects in View, which will more readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same con` sists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

Tho improvements forming the subjectmatter of the present" applicationare necessarily susceptible to some modification without departing fromthespirit or scope thereof; but the preferred embodiment of the improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aperspective View of a portable loading and unloading apparatus embodyingthe improvements contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sideview of a portion of the apparatus, showing more clearly the arrangementof the clutch-brake associated with the raising and lowering device forthe tilting dump-rails. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the apparatus.Fig. t is a v ertical longitudinal sectional View on the line 4 4 ofFig. 3, showing the dump-rails tilted in the position which they assumeto provide for tilting the wagon and dumping its contents. Fig. 5 is across-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, showing the relation ofthe lock shaft to the dump-rails to provide for locking them in theirnormal horizontal position. Fig. G is an enlarged detail sectional Viewof the clutch-brake and showing the relation thereof to the conveyerwithin the receiving hopper or pit. Fig. 7 is a d etail sectional viewon the line 7 7 of Fig. 3, showing the tightener for the conveyer Withinthe receiving hopper or pit. Fig. 8-is a detail in perspective of theconnected tilting dump-rails. Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of theplatform portion of the apparatus, showing in outline more plainly therelative positions of the tilting dump-rails and the door-coveredreceiving hopper or pit for the load.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings. V

In carrying out the invention the entire apparatus, exclusive of thepower for oper-V ating .the same, is designed to be supported upon andcarried by a portable truck l. This truck l may be of any suitabledesign and essentially comprises a suitable base-frame 2,

carrying the front and rear axles 3 and 4E, respectively, upon thespindles of which axles are mounted the ground orsupporting wheels 5,and there is designed to be coupled with the front axle of the truck anordinary draft appliance 6, towhich the team may be hitched when it isdesired to move the apparatus from place to place.

The portable carrying-truck l has -built thereon a wagon-platform 7,constructed of planking or in any other approved manner, said platformbeing designed to have driven thereon the loaded vehicle or wagoncontaining the harvest to be dumped and elevated to the bin or granary.The wagon-platform 7 is supported in an approximately horizontalposition by the carrying-truck on which it is builtand is provided attheopposite longitudinal sides thereof with the upright protective siderailings 8, which act in the capacity of the usual guards for the teamand wagon. 'f

To provide the apparatus with a complete lOO driveway for the team andwagon, there is associated With the main wagon-platform 7 the oppositeinclined end tread-sections 9 and 10, which tread-sections are arranged,respectively, at the opposite ends of the platform and decline therefromto the ground. Said end inclined tread-sections 9 and 10 are detachablyconnected at their upper ends by hooks or other suitable fastenings 11to the truck-frame at the ends of the plat-form, so

that when the apparatus is not in use the tread-sections may be readilydisconnected or detached and placed within the truck upon the mainwagon-platform, so as to facilitate the transportation of the apparatusas an entirety. The end tread-sections 9 and 10 are also preferablyconstructed of planking and respectively constitute an approach anddescent for the wagon, the tread-section 9 serving to guide the team andloaded wagon onto the wagon-platform and the opposite treadsection 1Userving to carry the team and unl loaded wagon ofi:` of the platform andonto the ground.

The horizontal wagon-platform 7 has formed therein the opposite parallellongitudinallydisposed rail-slots 12, in which are designed to registerthe parallel tilting dump-rails 13, consisting of beams of sufficientstrength to ing dump-rails 13 are preferably connected by aplatform-section 14, adapted to form one end portion of the mainplatform 7 when the rails are in their normal untilted positions.

termediate their ends upon the pivot pins or bolts 15, suitably fittedin the platform bed or framework beneath the same to provide strongpivotal supports for the said rails 13, i whereby the same may bereadily oscillated to provide for tilting the loaded wagon to a dumpingposition and also to assume horizontal positions ush with the platform,so

that the wagon may be readily run onto and l In carrying out the presentoff of the same. invention it is the purpose to provide the tiltingdump-rails 13 with means whereby the wagon will automatically centeritself upon the tilting support, consisting of the said rails 13 13, assaid support tilts to a dumping position. The preferred expedient foraccomplishing this result is to provide the rails 13 at their droppingends opposite the platformsection 14 with triangular centering cleats orstops lf, projecting from the upper faces of the rails 13 and havingtheir inclined edges 17a extending obliquely across the said upperfaces, so that as the rails are tilted, with the Wagon thereon, the rearWheels of the etnias wagon Will roll against the inclined edges 17i ofthe centering cleats or stops, thus causing the Wagon to naturally shiftitself to a central position Yupon the tilting support, and therebyobviate the dragging and pulling of the wagon to a central position, asis necessary in some types of loading and unloading apparatus heretoforepatented.

The tilting support, consisting of the connected dump-rails 13, isdesigned to work in the vertical longitudinally-disposed railpockets 16,formed within the truck-frame beneath the plane of the rail-slots 12,said pockets 16 serving as housings for the dropping ends of the rails13 and also acting in the capacity of guard-pockets to receive the rearwheels of the wagon as the latter tilts to a dumping position. Thisconstruction obviates the possibility of lateral shifting of the wagonfrom its position upon the tilting support during the dumping operation,and it is to be observed at this point that the tilting support,consisting of the dump-rails 13, is associated with atransversely-arranged loadreceiving hopper or pit 17, (see Figs. 4 and9,) which is built within the truck-frame at one end of thewagon-platform 7 and below the plane of the latter. The saidload-receiving hopper or pit 17 extends transversely across the entirewidth of the truck and is open at the top, so as to receive therein thegrain or other material as it discharges out of the end of the wagon,which end of the wagon is designed to project into or overhang the openupper side of the hopper or pit when the dump-rails are permitted totilt to the inclined position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The grainor other material which is discharged into the open upper side of thetransversely-arranged receiving hopper or pit 17 falls upon a conveyer18, located within the j hopper or pit and extending longitudinally Thetilting dum p-rails 13 are fulcrumed inthereof from end to end. The saidconveyer 18 l is designed to move the load to one side of the apparatus,and may be of any approved type, but preferably consists of an endlessconveyer-apron 19,provided with the usual flights 2O and arranged topass over the oppositelylocated apron-rollers 21. These a pron-rollers2l are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the receiving hopper orpit 17, and one of said rollers is preferably mounted in adjustablebearings 22with which are connected an adjusting device 23 to providefor maintaining the apron 19 at the proper working tension; but it willof course be understood that anyv equivalent belt-tightening devicemight be substituted for this purpose. The grain or other material whichis discharged into the hopper or pit 17 onto the conveyer 18, arrangedlongitudinally therein, is carried by said conveyer out to one side ofthe truck and is discharged into the lower end of an inclined elevator24, projecting from one side of the truck and extending upwardlytherefrom at an inclination to provide for elevating the grain or othermaterial to the point IOO IIO

to provide for the elevation of the grain orA other material, the saidconveyor 26 preferably being of the endless apron or belt type to andprovided with the usual conveyer-ights 27, which aiford a proper supportfor the material during its elevation. The chute or trough 25 for theinclined elevator carries at its lower inner end a conveyer-shatt 28,the

I extremities of which project from opposite sides of the chute ortrough and pivot-ally and detachably engage in the open bearingnotches29, (see Fig. 5,) formed in theends of the frame-timbers at one side ofthe truck,

2o thus providing a connection between the inclined elevator and thetruck, which permits the said elevator to be raised or lowered on itspivot to change the inclination thereof, as well as admitting of theready disconnection of the elevator from 'the truck-frame, so that itmay be placed with the other removable parts upon the platform orotherwise disposed of when the apparatus is being transported. The saidconveyer-shaft 28 at the lower inner go'end of the conveyer chute ortrough 25 also constitutes the driving-shaft for both thetransferring-conveyer 18 and the elevatingcon veyer 2o, said shaft 28having an extension 28, designed to be connected with a horsepower orother suitable motor which may be employed for operating the apparatus.The said shaft 28 also has tted on one of the extremities thereof achain-wheel 29, over which passes a short driving-chain 30, which meshes4o with'a chain-Wheel 31 on one of the shaft extremities of theconveyer-shaft 32, carrying one of the apron-rollers for thetransferringconveyer 18 within the load-receiving hopper or pit 17. Thegearconnection described provides means whereby motion is directlytransferred from the shaft ofthe elevating-con veyer to one of theshafts of the transferring-conveyer. Thesaidinclinedelevator2t,whichispivotally and detachably mounted at its lower 5o end in the mannerdescribed, is designed to be raised and lowered through a suitableraising-and-lowering mechanism associated with a transverselyarrangedoverhead arched frame The said overhead arched frame 33 spans thewagon-platform at the dumping end thereof and is of a sufficient heightto permit of a team and wagon being readily driven thereunder. In otherwords, `the said overhead arched frame 33 arises from the 6o truck orplatform in the vertical plane of the 653/1 and lying parallel with thewagon-platform. The said upright arched frame 33 is provided at theupper opposite corners therethe shaft 38 is connected to a bail 41,having' its terminals 12 engaging in the attachingbrackets 43,1itted toopposite sides of the conveyer chute or trough .25 at an intermediatepoint between the upper and lower ends of said chute or trough. Byoperating the shaft 38 the elevator 21 may be raised or lowered to anydesired angle, and at this point it should be observed that the saidelevator may be of any approved construction and may be employed with orwithout a swivel delivery-spout to provide for receiving the grain andother material from its upper end and carrying it into the grain-car orother rece ptacle therefor. An ordinary for m of swivelspout 411 isindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings and is illustrativeof a convenient manner of using the apparatus to provide for elevatinggrain and delivering it through the medium of the spout into thegrain-car.

The open upper side of the load-receiving hopper or pit 17 is designedto be covered and IOO uncovered by a trap-door 45, hinged at one edge,as at 46, to the adjacent portion of the platform and when closed beingdesigned to lie flush with the main part of tlieplatform to permit of ateam and wagon driving thereover onto the tilting support. The trap-door45preferably has connected to the ou ter side thereof a pull-rod 46,which permits of the essentiallyconsists of a transversely-arrangedlocking-shaft L17, journaled in suitable bearingsV beneath thewagon-platform andarranged transversely of the truck adjacent to thetransverse load-receiving hopper or pit 17. The said transverselocking-shaft 47 is provided within the vertical rail and wheelreceiving pockets 16 with the offset holding cranks or arms 18, adaptedto engage beneath the dropping ends of the rails 13, as shown in Fig. 5of the drawings, to provide forlirmly sustaining the said rails in theirhorizontal positions and holding themin such positions when the wagon isdriven thereon until itis ready to tilt the wagon and dump the load. Thesaid locking-shaft L17 is provided at one end exterior to thetruck-frame IIO with a rock-arm 49, to which is pivotally connected oneend of an operating-link 50, the other end of which link is pivotallyconnected with the trap-door 45 at the point 51, so that when the saiddoor is thrown open the movement thereof is transmitted to the shaft 47,thus causing the said shaft to rock and swing the holding cranks or arms48 thereof from beneath the dropping extremities of the rails 13,whereby the said rails are free to tilt with the wagon thereon.

The swinging up and down of the rails 13 is controlled through therail-adjusting cables 52, attached at one end to the rails 13 at theirconnected ends and winding and unwinding at their other ends upon awindlass-shaft 53, journaled transversely of the. truck-frame, at oneend thereof, and which maybe tted eX- terior to the truck with anoperating-crank 54. This crank, however, is not utilized under ordinaryconditions, but simply for testing or exhibiting the apparatus when thesame is not coupled with the horse-power or other motor for operatingthe same; yet in the event of any impairment of the power connection fordriving the apparatus the said crank might be utilized. The saidwindlassshaft 53 has fitted thereto a bevel or miter gear 55, adapted tomesh with a similar gear 56, feathered upon the inner end of thecontrolling-shaft 57. This controlling-shaftI 57 is mounted in bearings58 and 59 (see Fig. 2) at one side of the truck-frame, and the featheredconnection with the bevel gear-wheel 56 permits the said shaft to have aslight longi tudinal play independent of the gear 56, while at the sametime turning in unison with such gear. At the end opposite the gear 56,carried thereby, the longitudinally-movable controlling-shaft 57 carriesa cupped cl utch-shoe 60, having an interior conical socket adapted tofrictionally t over or receive therein a friction-cone 61, carried uponone end of the conveyer-shaft 32 of the transferring-conveyer 18, saidcupped shoe 60 and the cone 61 constituting not only a shaft-couplingfor connecting the shaft-s 32 and 57, but also act- A ing in thecapacity of a friction-brake for controlling the tiltingof the wagon andarresting precipitate movement thereof. The said shoe member 60 of theclutch is provided at one side with a ratchet-hub 62, cooperating with aratchetfcollar 63, rigid with andpro- 'jecting at one side of one of thebearings 59 for the controlling-shaft 57, and a retractile spring 64,arranged upon the shaft 57 at one side of the bearing 59, serves tonormally hold the ratchet or clutch members 62 63 in interlockingengagement. To provide for moving the shaft longitudinally and causing adisengagement of the ratchet members 62 63 and a registering engagementof the brake members 60 61, an adjusting-lever 64 is employed. Thislever is pivotally supported at one side of the truck and carries a yoke65, loosely embracing the ratchet-hub 62, and the upper end of the saidlever has connected thereto an operating-rod 66, loosely mounted in oneof the side portions 34 of the upright arched frame 33 and provided atone end with a handle 67.

With the parts of the apparatus in their normal positions the dump-rails13 are locked by the locking-shaft 47 in the manner explained, thetrapdoor 45 is closed, and the spring 64a holds the ratchet-hub 62inter# locked with the fixed ratchet member 63, so that the dump-railsare held perfectly rigid as a part of the platform and a team and wagonmay be readily driven up the approach 9 and onto the main platform.After the wheels of the wagon have been positioned upon the tiltingsupport, consisting of the rails 13 and the connecting platform-section14, the trap-door 45 isswung open, thus causing the lockingshaft to bethrown out of operative relation to the dum ping-rails and releasing thedrop* ping ends thereof, after which time the operator draws upon thepull-rod 66, and thereby moves the controlling-shaft 57 longitudinally,which causes a disengagement of the ratchet members 62 and 63 and theengagement of the cupped brake-shoe 60 with the friction` cone 61 uponthe revolving shaft 32 of the transferring-conveyer 18. The press ureupon the operating-rod will determine the pressure of the shoe 60 uponthe cone 61, thus providing au effective brake for allowing the loadedWagon to tilt the dump-rails at any desired speed. The operator isaccordingly in coniplete control of the dumping movement and canpositively prevent precipitate tilting of the loaded wagon, and at thispoint it will be observed that the operator may conveniently stand uponthe approach 9 in proximity to the controlling-rod 66, so as to have theentire apparatus under complete and ready control without the necessityof moving off of the platform 9. In this location the same operator canreadily remove and replace the tail or end gate of the wagon.

It has already been explained that during the tilting movement of thedump-rails 13,

which are carried downward by the weight of the wagon on account of theeccentric pivoting of said rails, the operator draws upon the pull-rod66 sufciently to frictionally engage the shoe 60 with the friction-.cone61, thus causing the controlling device to act in the capacity of afriction-brake while dumping t-he load; but when the load has beenemptied into the hopper or pit 17 and onto the transferrer 18 a strongerpull upon the rod 66 causes the shoe 60 to become locked upon the cone61, and thus provide an effective shaft-coupling for operativelyconnecting together the shafts 32 and 57, thereby causing a rotation ofthe said shaft 57 in a direction which provides for winding up thecables 52 thereon and drawing the rails back to the normal horizontalposition. Hence the same controlling device acts in the capacity of afriction-brake for the tilting movement of the rails and also as ashaft-coupling to provide IOO IOS

IIO

for the automatic drawing back of the rails to their normal position,the same movement on the part of the operator serving to secure thesetwo results.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction,operation, andman vadvantages of the herein described apparatus will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and itwill be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the ad vantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

I. In a loading and unloading apparatus, a truck having a platform, aloadreceiving hopper at one end of the platform, a transferring-conveyerwithin the hopper, a tilting support associated with the platform andessentially comprising tilting dump rails, a locking device for thedump-rails consisting of a transversely-arran ged locking-shaft havingopposite holding cranks or arms adapted to engage beneath the droppingends of the rails, said shaft being also provided With a rock-arm, atrap-door arranged to cover and uncover said hopper, and anoperating-link connecting the trap-door with said rock-arm,substantially as set forth.

2. In a loading and unloading apparatus, a truck havinga platformprovided with longitudinally-disposed rail-slots, a tilting supportconsisting of a pair of dump-rails working in said slots, and aplatform-section connecting the rails at one side of their pivots andforming a continuation of the platform, the ends of the rails oppositethe platformsection being provided with stops for the wagon, and lockingmeans for normally snstaining the tilting support in'fiush relation withthe platform, substantially as set forth.

3. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination with theplatform, of a pair of tilting dump-rails, provided at their droppingends with centering-stops for the wagon, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with theplatform, of the tilting rails provided at their dropping ends withapproximately triangular centering stops or cleats having their inclinededges extending obliquely across the upper faces of the rails,substantially as set forth.

5.` In a loading and unloading apparatus, the truck having a platformand a transversely-arranged load-receiving hopper at` one end of theplatform, a transferring-conveyer Working within the hopper, an inclinedelevator arranged at one side of the truck and cooperating with saidconveyer, a tilting support for the Wagon cooperating with the platform,land essentially comprising a pair of connected dump-rails, a lockingdevice coperating with the dropping end of the tilting support, atrap-door for `the hopper having an operative "connection with saidlocking device, an adjusting mechanism connected with the end of thetilting support opposite the locking device, and a brake associated withsaid adjusting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

6. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination with theplatform and the tilting wagon-support, of an adjusting mechanism havingoperative connection with one end of said support, and a brake deviceassociated with said adjusting mechanism to control the droppingmovement thereof, substantially as specified.

7. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination with theplatform and the tilting wagon-support, of the adjusting mechanism forthe support including a windlassshaft and cables winding and unwindingon the shaft and connected with the support, and a normally inactivebrake device operatively connected with the windlass-shaft andindependently controllable.

8. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination with theplatform, and the tilting support for the wagon, of au adjustingmechanism comprising a windlass-shaft and rail-adj Listing cablesconnected with said shaft and said tilting support, and a clutchbrakecomprising complementary members upon separate shafts, one of which isoperatively geared With the Windlass-shaft of the adjusting mechanism,substantially as set forth.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with theplatform and the tilting wagon-support, of an adjustinginechanism forthe tilting support, and a brake device comprising a controlling-shafthaving one brake member and operatively connected with the adjustingmechanism for the tilting support, and the shaft of one of the movingmembers of the apparatus having the other or complementary brake member,substantially as set forth.

l0. In a machine of the class described, the combination with themachine-platform and the tilting support, of the adjusting mechanismcomprising a windlass-shaft and cables connected with said shaft andwith the tilting support, a transferring-conveyer for the load having ashaft provided with a friction element, and a controlling-shaftoperatively geared with said windlass-shaft and also having a frictionelement coperating with the element carried by the shaft of thetransferring-conveyer, substantially as set forth.

1l. In a machine of the class described, the combination with theplatform and the tilting wagon-support, of an adjusting mechanismcomprising a windlass-shaft, and cables connected with said shaft andsaid support, a conveyer for the material having a` shaft provided witha friction-cone, a longitudinally-movable spring-retractedcontrollingshaft operatively geared with said windlass- IOO IIO

Shaft and provided with a cupped frictionshoe, cooperating with saidfriction-cone and With aratchet-hubarranged at one side ofthe said shoe,a fixed ratchet element normally engaged by said ratchet-hub carried bythe controlling-shaft, and an adjusting-lever operatively related tosaid longitudinally-movable controlling-shaft.

l2. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination with theplatform and the tilting wagon-support, of adjusting mechanism for theWagon-support, and a combined brake and shaft-coupling associated withsaid adjusting mechanism and comprising means for actuating the same andalso for braking the tilting movement of the support.

13. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination with theplatform and the tilting Wagon-support, of a combined brake andshaft-coupling associated with said support and comprising means forbraking the tilting movement thereof, and also for swinging the sameback to normal position, and a single controlling device for saidmechanism.

14. In a loading and unloading apparatus, the combination With theplatform and the tilting Wagon-Support, of adjusting mechanism havingoperative connection with said support, a clutch-brake associated withsaid mechanism, and an operating connection with said clutch-brake forcausing the same to operate as a brake and as a shaft-cou pling.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PEARL REED, J. B. SPALDING.

